After losing in the Western Conference Finals for a third-straight time in a row, the Stars are ready to find a new head coach. Pete DeBoer was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Dallas Stars today, in what was a move many were hoping for after losing in the playoffs to the Oilers. However, in my opinion, it was inevitable that he was going to be let go after pulling Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference Finals in game five against the Edmonton Oilers.
A lot of the players are probably going to be fine with the coach moving on, especially Oettinger. Even though Oettinger didn't say that there was a rift between him and DeBoer, you could tell that the relationship was fractured and would take a long time to repair. Even the locker room was lost after what he said about Oettinger's sample size against the Oilers in the playoffs. That's cause for a hockey coach to lose his job, and DeBoer was the victim of it in Dallas.
Pete DeBoer Firing: What's Next for the Stars?
The Stars will begin their coaching search immediately, as they need a new head coach before the NHL Draft so that the new coach can start drafting prospects to fill the organization. After trading for Mikko Rantanen, I doubt the Stars will have many draft picks off the bat for him to use. However, they want to get this right, so I wouldn't expect a new head coach to be announced until the end of the month. There are a couple of early names that we will go into more depth about tomorrow that you should be aware of.
Texas Stars Head Coach Neil Graham is a name that is familiar because he's the minor league coach in Cedar Park. He's an up-and-coming coach who has developed players such as Jake Oettinger, Thomas Harley, and Mavrik Bourque. He's a coach who knows the Stars' front office, and the last thing the Stars want is for him to become a head coach in the Central Division. Might as well keep him in-house and promote him to become the next head coach of the Stars.
Another name that could be in discussion as a potential head coach is Jim Nill's friend, Gerard Gallant. That would be someone that Nill would hire because of his experience as a head coach in the NHL for quite some time. He's coached the Columbus Blue Jackets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers. I would not be shocked if the coaching search wrapped up quickly and either of these coaches is behind the bench next season for the Dallas Stars.
In conclusion, Pete DeBoer did a fantastic job here in Dallas as the head coach. Three Western Conference Final appearances in a row is no small feat for any coach; however, when you have a solid hockey team that could have won the whole thing this season, a change is needed. Nill has a tough decision ahead of him this summer to select the next head coach of the Dallas Stars. I have faith in him to make the right decision to get back to the Western Conference Finals next year.